GD Orchestra Notes for Saturday, July 13
Overall— Very nice work last night. It’s getting tighter and tighter and you are all very skillful in the nuances that provide . I want to call your attention to these spots for tonight’s show:
#2– getting into this song from the previous song… the last bar of the previous song slows down, then the tempo picks back up in 4 at the start of this song… this first and second measure aren’t together enough as I would like- so be sure to lock on on the tempo right away. (Whether you are the “boom” or the “chuck” – please be attentive to this so we can lock it in from the beginning of this song) once we get it- we’re good.
#8 Woodwinds- we will not be “accel”ing in mm. 15-16 or mm. 15a-16a— so just keep those beats right in time in hopes we can get them exactly together with the bells.
#20- I’ll conduct m. 53 in 4 to control the rallentando better. (I’ve been doing it, but never formally let you know- and I don’t want subs to be confused especially,) mm. 83-84- don’t start slowing until beat 3 of m. 84. There are some players anticipating a slow down- but I want it to have more of a “subito” effect. I’ll still conduct m. 84 in 2.m, and then, the last measure in 4, subdividing 1-and-2-and-3.
#27– mm. 40-42 winds were a little ahead— please do your best to watch- I know it’s difficult from that angle to see me clearly- but that spot stood out last night. We need to be more colla voce there.
#28 woodwinds- m. 57- don’t play exactly on beat 4… but do slide down into the next beat- just keep it short, and close to beat one—- after he says the word “a” (a great big wave…) treat the slide more like Grace notes that precede the beat.
#30 – Vlns – at the beginning…. be sure to play at the beginning. I know it can be difficult to start- but she starts the song with “at Wannamakers and Saks and Kline” and we play on her second syllable (WAN). maybe it caught you off-guard last— no worries- it happens—especially since you don’t get a few good preparatory beats because we are relying on her timing to start with her. Cat will also play there which will help- I think her sub was caught by surprise there because the lack of preparatory beats so he didn’t play there last night.